Runner and propelling attachment for bicycles or other vehicles.



No. 756,767. PATBNTED APR 5, 1904 J. YOUNGKEN. RUNNER AND P-ROPELLINGATTACHMENT FOR BIGYGLES OR OTHER vEEIcLEs.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 14, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOH UNTTED STATES Patented April 5, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

RUNNER ANDPROPELLING ATTACHMENT FOR BICYCLES OR OTHER VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,767, dated April 5,1904.

Application filed September 14, 1903- Serial No. 173,113. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HARVEY YOUNG- KEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Virginia City, in the county of Madison andState of Montana, have invented a new and Improved Runner and PropellingAttachnhent for Bicycles or other Vehicles, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to runners and propelling attachments for bicycles,automobiles, and other vehicles; and the purpose of the invention is toprovide runners in one or more pairs or a pair of rear runners and asingle forward guide-runner and means connected with each runner of apair so constructed and so operated by the motive power of the vehiclethat the runners will be alternately lifted and advanced, one runner ofa pair bearing the weight of the machine while the other runner is beingadvanced and slightly lifted in advancing. Thus when the mechanism isacting upon the stationary runner said runner bears the weight of themachine, and the frame of the machine is sent forward at the same timeas the other runner is lifted and advanced, which latter runner in itsturn sustains the weight while its following runner is being carriedproportionately forward, and in this manner the machine is propelled.

Another purpose of the invention is to provide means for preventing abackward movement of the runners and to so construct both the runnersthat they may be quickly and conveniently connected with any axle afterthe wheels are removed.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bicycle having the attachment applied.Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken practically on the line2 2 of Fig. 3, showing a runner, a connected mangle-rack, and a pinionfor the rack in side elevation; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section takenpractically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

A represents the frame of the bicycle, B the handle-bar usuallyaccompanying such a frame, the frame having the ordinary pedalshaft 10and pedals 11, together with the forward fork 12, in which thehandle-bar B is mounted, and C represents a forward runner, which isattached to the said front fork 12 after the ordinary wheel has beenremoved from the said fork. As illustrated, the forward fork 12 ispivotally attached to the frame A, as is shown at 14 in Fig. 1, so thatthe handle bar can be drawn rearward or toward the rider, whereby tobring the heel portion of the front runner in forcible engagement withthe surface over which it passes, at the same time causing the front ofthe runner to be elevated. The runner is provided with braces or knees15 for attachment to the lower portion of the front fork 12, and theforward end 16 of the runner C is upwardly curved. The rear or heel end16 of the runner is likewise upwardly curved to a greater or lessextent; but on the under face of the heel 16 of the runner C a knifeedge17 is formed, which when the heel portion of the runner is presseddownward will so engage with the ice or snow over which the vehicle ispassing as to retard the progress of the vehicle, and thereby serve as abrake. Said braking engagement between the runner and the surfacesupporting it may be accentuated by attaching a foot-bar 18 to the upperportion of the heel, so that the rider may press downward on this barwith his feet, thus assisting the braking action at the handle-bar.

The fork 12 has the usual foot-rest 13 for coasting purposes. I

The propelling-runners and their connecte mechanism are shown in pairsand are located at the back of the frame as a substitute for the rearwheel of a bicycle or the rear wheels of a tricycle.

The two propelling-runners are designated as D and D and are alike,being constructed in any suitable or approved manner. On the upperportion of the runner D a mangle-rack E is secured, extending indirection of the front and the rear of the machine, and a correspondingmangle-rack E is secured upon the upper portion of the runner D. In theconstruction of the mangle-racks illustrated the bottom sections 19 arestraight and are these pinions are mounted on a hub 21; but

the toothed portions of the pinions face in opposite directions, as isshown in Fig. 3. The hub 21 is adapted to be placed on a shaft 22, whichshaft usually carries the hub of the rear wheel of a bicycle, and at oneend of the said hub 21 a sprocket-pinion 23 is secured, shown connectedby a driving-chain 24: with a driving-gear 25 on the pedal-shaft 10.

Guide-shields 26 are provided for the mangle-racks E and E, whichshields are located at the outer sides of the racks, having openingsthrough which the hub 21 extends, and these shields are held in positionby brackets 27 readily removable.- These brackets attach the shields tothe frame A of the machine.

In order that the runners D and D shall not have a rearward movement,stop-arms 28 are hinged to the rear ends of the shoe-sections of therunners, which arms curve downward for engagement at their free endswith.

the surface over which the runners pass. By pivoting these stop-arms 28to the runners they are free to move upward when desired and willreadily pass any obstruction, imme diately dropping to working positionafter the obstruction is passed.

In the operation of the machine to which the attachment is applied onerunner will be normally in advance of the other, and when the pinion ofonemangle-rack is in engagement with the upper teeth 20 the said rackand connected runner will be slightly raised and advanced a certaindistance, while at the same time the other pinion acting on the lowerteeth of the other mangle-rack will serve to force this lattermangle-rack firmly in engagement with the surface traveled over, thuscausing it to sustain the burden of the weight and causing the frame ofthe machine to be moved forward proportionately to the advanced movementof the runner just carried forward. As soonas the advanced runner isfirmly seated on the snow or ice its pinion engages with the lower teeth19 of its mangle-rack, and this runner is then pressed downward and theframe is again moved forward, while the other runner will be lifted andadvanced by reason of its pinion engaging with the upper teeth on itsmangle-rack. It will therefore be obany character and that the motivepower ordinarily employed on the vehicle to which application is made isthat which is utilized to operate the attachment.

I am aware that many cycles have a rigid. post and that the fork couldnot be pulled back as indicated in the drawings. Therefore to providefor the application of the improvement to such construction the runner Cis pivotally mounted, so that the foot can brake on the element 16, anda slight bar is then placed across the back of the fork adjacent to theknees of the rider to prevent the runner C being pulled back into theframe or pedal sprocket; but this construction would not pre-- vent thefront of the runner G from being elevated and back-pressed into thesurfac over which it passes. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In runner attachments for vehicles, runners,elongated propelling members attached to said runners, and mechanismcoacting with said propelling members to alternately bring the runnersone in advance of the other,.each propelling member having a curvedsection, said sections being alternately engaged by said coactingmechanism to first elevate and then gradually lower each runner as it iscarried forward, the length of a forward step being determined by thelength of the elongated propelling members and the distance each runneris elevated, as a step is taken, being determined by the amount ofcurvature given to the curved sections of the propelling members.

2. In runner attachments for vehicles, runners, means for holding therunners in parallel independent relation, and coacting mechanism for therunners, adapted to move the runners alternately in advance of eachother, said mechanism comprising a propelling member secured to eachrunner, and means for alternately engaging, first one side of apropelling member to simultaneously elevate the runner connectedtherewith, and move it forward and bring it in engagement with theground again, said means then engaging the other propelling member topropel the opposite runner forward.

ITO

3. In runner attachments for vehicles, independent runners, guides formaintaining the runners in parallel position, a mangle-rack secured toeach runner, a shaft independent of the mangle-racks and runners, asupport for the said shaft, and segmental pinions carried by the saidshaft, extending in opposite directions therefrom, each pinion beingadapted for engagement with one of the said racks, as described.

4:. In arunner attachment for vehicles, inclependent runners, guidesmaintaining the said runners in parallel position, a mangle-rack securedto the upper portion of each runner, each mangle-rack being providedwith upper and lower interiorly-located teeth, the lower teeth being ina horizontal plane and the upper teeth having convexed arrangement, ashaft independent of the runners and the racks, a support for the shaft,and segmental pinions attached to the shaft and extending in oppositedirections therefrom, the pinions operating independently on therespective racks, as described.

5. In a runner attachment for vehicles, independent runners, guides formaintaining the said runners in parallel position, a manglerack securedto the upper portion of each runner, each mangle-rack being providedwith upper and lower interiorly-located teeth, the lower teeth being ina horizontal plane and the upper teeth having convexed arrangement, ashaft independent of the runners and the racks, a support for the shaft,segmental pinions attached to the shaft and extending in oppositedirections therefrom, the pinions operating independently on therespective racks, a driving mechanism for the said shaft, and stop-armslocated at the rear of the runners,

adapted to engage with the surface over which the runners travel andprevent rearward movement of the runners, as set forth.

6. A frame for a bicycle or a like machine, a pedal-shaft for the frame,a front fork or head pivotally connected with the frame, a handle-barcarried by the front fork or head, and a forward runner connected withthe said front fork or head, having its ends upwardly curved andprovided with a knife-edge on the tread-surface of its rear end, rearrunners, guides for the said runners, maintaining them in independentandparallel position, a manglerack secured to each runner at its upperportion, a shaft journaled in the rear portion of the frame, segmentalpinions secured to the shaft, extending in opposite directionstherefrom, the pinions coacting one with each rack, and a drivingconnection between the pedal-shaft and the pinion-shaft, as described.

7. A frame for a bicycle or like machine, a front fork or head pivotallyconnected with the frame to turn thereon and to rock backwardly andforwardly, the upper end of said head extending above the pivot-point, ahandle-bar connected with said head above its pivot-point, a runnersecured to said fork at its lower end and having its ends upwardlycurved and a knife-edge on the rear portion of the under side of saidrunner, adapted to be rocked into engagement with the surface upon whichthe machine is running.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HARVEY YOUNGKEN.

Witnesses:

CLARK. W. KELLoGG, FRED D. MALONE.

